Somatization: what is it and what symptoms does it produce?

The body and the mind are more connected than many people think.

Historically, many psychological theories treat the body and the mind as if they were two distinct entities that only associate in some aspects to allow the existence of self-aware and fully functional human beings. Interestingly, from these approaches the "material" body of people only has power over the mind in the aspect that it retains it in a particular place and otherwise it is the mind that proposes goals, controls the body's movements and, from time to time, seeks ways to transcend its "prison of flesh".

Nowadays both psychology and of course psychiatry tend more and more to obviate the existence of a "mind" independent of the material body, but curiously, and in spite of the scientific and technical advances of the last decades, there are certain mental disorders that seem to claim the existence of a disembodied psychological aspect, even though we know that it is impossible.even though we know that this is impossible. An example of this is provided by a phenomenon called somatization.

Understanding the concept of somatization

The somatization is a set of physical symptoms that produce discomfort and that cannot be explained medically from a review of the body.. That is, where there is somatization, there are problems related to Pain and discomfort for which no cause can be found from a medical examination.

Because of the difficulties in finding the source of the problem, the focus of diagnosis and treatments usually falls on the Somatic Nervous Systemthat is, the part of the nervous system that carries sensory information and serves as a channel for electrical impulses that activate the musculature.

What is the cause of somatizations?

Somatizations often form a sort of "catch-all" in the diagnostic criteria, since they often serve to create categories in which certain problems are included that we do not know very well why they are produced. This should not be surprising, given that the range of symptoms under which a disorder that fits the definition of "somatization" can appear is very wide, and locating the origin of an ailment in the functioning of the nervous system always causes more problems than locating it in very specific parts of the body, such as certain areas of cellular tissue or organs.

In addition, the manuals with criteria for diagnosing cases of somatizations almost always include the condition that these symptoms cannot be satisfactorily explained by another disorder or disease.

Somatizations are, therefore, difficult to explain if one wants to isolate in a laboratory the cause of all the physical and psychological complications it produces.but they have been studied and documented for a long time. It is therefore normal that for a time they were associated with what in psychoanalysis was known as hysteria, and that even today it is believed in certain academic circles that somatizations are the consequence of certain psychological problems that struggle to leave the unconscious.

Which people tend to develop them?

Statistically, women are somewhat more likely to somatize than men, and usually this happens for the first time.and this usually occurs for the first time during youth, before the age of 30. In addition, correlations have been found between leading a life linked to severe stressors, which explains why the more impoverished and less educated population is especially susceptible to experience cases of somatization.

This last fact may serve to suggest that somatizations have a situational component, and therefore to study them it is necessary to understand not only the individual, but also his or her relationship with the environment.

How are they usually expressed?

The most common somatizations are related to sexual problems (such as pain during penetration or erectile dysfunction), continuous headaches and joint pain. However, as we have already seen, there are many symptoms that can fit into what we know as somatization.

And how is a case of somatization treated?

Everything related to the nervous system must be treated from an approach that covers both the psychological and behavioral aspects of the person and the physical phenomena directly addressable in the patient's body. Therefore, it is worthwhile to medically monitor the evolution of somatization while providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.